Kobe Bryant's intended warning to the Nets during the NBA Draft to be showcased in an upcoming film.
In the world of basketball, the name Kobe Bryant is synonymous with greatness. A five-time NBA champion, 18-time All-Star, and one of the league's all-time greats, Bryant's career was cut tragically short in a helicopter crash in 2020. But what if the Brooklyn Nets had selected him with the 8th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft?
According to ESPN insider Bobby Marks, who was an intern for the Nets in 1996 and later became the team's assistant general manager, former Nets general manager John Nash wanted to select Kobe Bryant. Longtime Nets broadcaster Ian Eagle detailed that Nash stood firm on Bryant playing for the Nets.
However, the Nets ultimately passed on Bryant, selecting Kerry Kittles with the 8th pick. The Charlotte Hornets had initially selected Bryant with the No. 13 pick and subsequently traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac.
The team's decision not to select Bryant and the subsequent events have become a point of speculation among Nets fans. Kobe Bryant's agent, Arn Tellem, threatened that Bryant would play in Italy if the Nets took him. John Calipari, the first major decision maker as an NBA head coach and running basketball operations for the Nets, was concerned about taking Bryant and the potential consequences if he didn't play for the Nets.
Calipari's thought process was that if he made a mistake in selecting Bryant and Bryant didn't play for the Nets, he might look incompetent. Nets fans will spend the rest of their lives wondering what could have been had the team selected Bryant.
Kittles had a solid career with the Nets, averaging 14.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 44/38/78 shooting splits over seven seasons. But it's hard not to wonder what Bryant could have brought to the team.
A movie titled With the 8th Pick, about Kobe Bryant's draft day story, has landed at Warner Bros. The potential inside look at the team's decision on the big screen may soon be available, offering a unique perspective on the events that unfolded over two decades ago.
In the end, the Nets' decision not to select Kobe Bryant is a topic of ongoing discussion among basketball enthusiasts. The team's blunder in not selecting Bryant will likely be a point of contention for years to come, as fans and analysts continue to debate what could have been.
One thing is certain, however: Kobe Bryant's legacy as one of the NBA's all-time greats will live on, regardless of where he might have played his early years. The nickname "The Big Ticket" was given to another basketball great, Kevin Garnett, but it could just as easily have been applied to Kobe Bryant, whose impact on the game was undeniable.
